Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Remington 11-48 shotgun?

Just bought a Remington 11-48 16 gauge off of a co-worker that was short on christmas money.I know I paid to much and thats all right,I like the guy and his family,but I was wondering if these are good shooters.I not much of a shotgun guy and have never owned a semi-auto. My wife told me the other day she would like to learn to shoot trap and thought maybe this would be a good shotgun to start with.Thanks to everybody.

My first shotgun that was all my own was a 12 gauge 11-48 that I got when I was 12. I've had a lot of shotguns since then but there's not much I couldn't have done with just that gun. I've been thinking about getting it going again.

I don't know your wife, but match it with the right shells and she should be off to a good start.

They kick a bit much. Partly because of the recoil operation and partly becasue of the stock design, narrow with a lot of drop in it. Trade it in on a gas operated gun if you want her to like trap shooting. Also, 16ga shells are spendy and can be hard to find. Minimal load options. 11-48 was a good gun in its time, functioned reasonably well and all, but there are MUCH better options out there.

Well, I'll offer another view. I've never shot the 11-48, but have the predecessor, the M11 (in 16ga). Recoil operation is what it is, and in my opinion, the recoil of a 16ga isn't that significant. True, it isn't a gas operated gun, but we're not shooting magnum loads here either. Cummulatively, it may be a bit much for trap shooting, though most trap shooters shoot 12s. As to loads, they can be spendy, and perhaps difficult to find. But you can get loads in #8,#7 1/2's. #6's. #5's, and #4's. If you HAVE to shoot steel (for hunting), you can get #4's and #2's. This is what I can find locally (Fargo, ND).

If the gun is in good shape, and you can find a use for it, there is no sense in not keeping it - besides, shooting the 16 has a cache of it's own. If you do opt to let it go, I suggest you take a look over on 16ga.com to guage interest in your firearm.....it'll give you an accurate idea on pricing and market interest.

Kaiser Norton

I've still got the 12 ga. Rem. M-11-48 that my father bought me 40 years ago. The 12 ga. 11-48s had a tendency to crack the stocks right behind the receiver due to hard recoil. I know the 20 ga. models did not have this problem and I doubt if this was a problem with the 16 ga. models. Recoil is not an issue for me. My stock cracked as I shot a lot of "high brass" shells through it. I have since restocked it and use it now as my "dove gun"- short brass shells only. I really like the way it shoots and it is very reliable.

They are good, reliable shotguns, but like Safari said...they kick.

They have the same operating system as the Browning A-5 shotguns, I think. They'll shoot forever with minimal care but the gas operated ones are more comfortable to shoot.

They kick like a mule. I saved up my hay hauling money when I was 14 and bought one in 12 gauge. It knocked the snot out of me. I soon traded it in for an Ithaca 37. It was Remington's last recoil operated auto. The last time I one was on a dove shoot two years ago. At the end of the shoot the guy's shoulder was several shades of blue and purple.

The 11-48 most likely will not cycle standard trap ammo. These are field guns, and need field ammo to function. Lead only, btw..

Issues crop up on those when owners try to use higher-pressure shells than they're designed for.. That can literally warp/bend the receiver and render it worthless. It's Achilles heel, if you can call it that, is the friction collar and spring. When it breaks, not if, it's a spendy proposition to obtain a new one - especially if it's a 16 ga..

An 11-48 in 20 gauge was my first firearm.Grandpa gave it to me the day that I was born.I still have it,but don't shoot it anymore.As others have said,it was good enough in its day,but theres better now.Lightman

I thought 16 gauge and trap ammo were mutually exclusive terms.

I have the 16 gauge Sportsman 48, which is an 11-48 with the magazine tube peened so it will only take 2 shells. It's a good, hardworking shotgun. To me, the recoil-operated 16 kicks about like a 12 gauge pump. This was my dad's gun.

When I outgrew my youth model single shot 20 gauge, my dad decided to upgrade to the Remington 1100. He let me shoot the 48 under one condition: from then on I bought my own shells!

He got the 16 gauge in the first place because he felt the 12 "was just a little more gun than (he) wanted to shoot."

The most prevalent loads are the 2 1/2 dram, 1 oz field loads and the 3 1/4 dr, 1 1/8 oz long range loads. This gun takes both of these loads interchangeably, as a steady diet, with no ill effects so far. This gun is about 50 years old now.

to everybody on this forum, I once lived in minot n.d.
and had my now exwife sell my Remington 11-48 in 16ga to a pawn shop, this was in 1990/1991, it has a cuts compensator on it and a choke you can dial by twisting it.
don't want the ex back but if you or someone you know has this gun I would love to get it back, it was my first gun!
she also sold a cva .32cal squirrel rifle, and a double n single barrel la fever in 16ga(2guns) PLEASE HELP!!!
im also looking for a Mohawk 10-c in .22 same thing happened to it as the others, all should have ttt scribed into them somewhere, thanks! you can contact me at 707-439-5787 my name is tim

Have hunted upland birds with an 11-48 28 gauge since the 70's. Own two of them now. Nice guns.

My brother has 2 12 gauge and 1 16 and uses them for hunting everything from squirrels to deer.

I think 1 of r=the 12 has a poly-choke on it.

It should be ok for birds,so clays should be no problem.

However i do not know of a trap load for the 16 any more.